Credit Recovery Expeditions
Discovery
(noun, exclamation, emotion)
A strategy for high school students who have failed courses to gain academic credits in order to graduate.
Often online, asynchronous, or in person at school
Academic Credit Recovery
Credit Discovery
(verb)
A strategy for high school students to gain academic credits while building bridges into community in order to earn a diploma and land a job (and be a successful, happy human with a strong social network).
All on the road in the city or a region—with 1:1 or small group instruction and personalized academic plan.
Credit Discovery Expeditions are built in partnership with schools and districts to redefine and engage students in immersive, place-based learning while recovering credits.
We created this program in response to the chronic absenteeism and dropout rates across the United States. Our curriculum is based on English, Science, Humanities, and Math courses that we teach as we travel through cities and across the State.
We created this model because we saw some major hurdles for students trying to access quality education while recovering credits:
Lack of engaging, personalized options — The options for credit recovery are all online and standardized so it makes it hard for students to apply the learning in their own lives.
Staffing challenges — Staffing credit recovery can be a challenge over school breaks or after school.
High recidivism rates — Students who are in credit recovery in 9th grade, stay in credit recovery for all 4 years for the same or a different subject
Low attendance rates — High school attendance is down across the country, making it even harder for students to recover credits and keep up with their current coursework. We wanted to inspire students with a new reason to come to school.
Types of Programming
We offer two forms of Credit Recovery Expeditions: Day Programs and Overnight Programs
Students receive three meals a day andf all transportation is provided. They can be picked up from home each day or dropped off at the school building.
We work closely with the school or district to enroll students. For example, in 2023, our pilot program served 10th graders at Aurora Central High School who needed to recover English and Math credits.
Our Curriculum
We use project-based and community-based learning as the foundation for building our curriculum.
Our curriculum is grounded in real-world problems. For example, we apply math to our surroundings by examining the downtown business district and exploring how locally-owned businesses impact the economy. In science class, we study the tributaries of the Colorado River to learn about healthy ecosystems and human impact on the environment.
What community organizations do we work with?
We bring students to meet organizations working in the community as well as to engage with different types of business. Our goal is to expand students horizon and support them in resource mapping places and connections they can use in the future.
Our programs in Denver work with many community partners like, Redline Art Gallery, Denver Zoo, Nature and Science Museum, Boulder Open Space, MSU Visual Arts, Youth on Record, Legacy Auto Collison, and multiple other organizations.
What does a day at The Field Academy look like?
Example Schedule:
6:40-7:30am: School Drop Off or Pickup at Houses
7:30-8:00am: Morning Meeting
8:00-8:30am: Breakfast
8:30-9:30am: Seminar 1 (Taught by Field Academy Teachers)
9:30-12:00am: Morning Experience-Community Org or Business Visit
12:00-1:00am: Lunch
1:00-2:00pm: Seminar 2
2:00-4:30pm: Afternoon Experience
4:30-5:00pm: Afternoon Meal
5:00-5:30pm : Reflection and Drop Off at Home
Work With Us
Schools & Districts
We are working to expand our reach across the United States. Right now, our focus is on growing throughout Colorado—especially in rural districts across the state.
If you’re based outside of Colorado, we’d be excited to explore a partnership. At this time, we only offer credit recovery expeditions outside the state. Please reach out if your school or district is interested!
Guardian Ad Litem/ Truancy Court
We are a referral partner for multiple court systems and attorneys. If you work with a student who might be a good fit part-time or full-time for our programs, please reach out to discuss their unique needs and situation.
Families & Students
Give Anna a call and we’ll walk through next steps to join us on the road.
Anna: (615) 517-4804
Community Partnerships & Volunteering
A key part of our model is expanding students’ social capital. This means introducing them to more places in their community and to people outside of their families. We’re always looking for volunteers and new connections, so feel free to drop us a line to see how we can connect.
Reach out to Anna Graves via email at agraves@fieldacademy.org or phone at (615) 517-4804